Tube supporting and spacing structure for heat exchangers



7 Aug. 12, 1958 x L. R. SMITHIETAL 2,847,192

- RTING AND SPACING STRUCTURE 51/145 R. M/TH McLE/M/ A. AMBROSE I BY A ORNEY L. R. SMITH ETAL TUBE SUPPORTING AND SPACING STRUCTURE FOR HEAT EXCHANGEIRS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 12, 1955 ATTORNEY Aug. 12, 1958 R. SMITH ETAL. 2,847,192 TUBE SUPPORTING AND SPACING STRUCTURE FOR HEAT EXCHANGERS Filed Sept. 12, 1955 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 45mm; Fr. sm/m McAE/QN ,4. AMBROSL' BY WW ATTORNEY TUBE SUPPORTING AND SPACING STRUCTURE ron HEAT EXCHANGERS Lewis Raymond Smith and McLean A. Ambrose, Jackson, Mich., assignors to Acme Industries, Inc Jackson, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application September 12,1955, Serial No. 533,855

9 Claims (Cl. 257-163) Our invention relates to heat exchangers, and more particularly to supporting and spacing structures for multiple coil and header assemblies of the same.

- It is an object of the present invention to provide supporting and spacing structure for the tubes of heat exchangers, which structure may be quickly and readily assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide supporting structure as described above, which is simple in construction and may be fabricated from standard parts.

The invention also contemplates providing supporting structure for the tubes of heat exchangers, in which the weight of the tubes will be evenly distributed among the various parts.

Finally, the invention further contemplates providing supporting structure for heat exchangers, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, easy to assemble, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a multiple coil and header assembly of a-heat exchanger according to our invention;

Figure 2 is anenlarged, fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of our invention taken onthe line 3-3 of Figure 1 and omitting some of the central portion thereof to avoid an undue multiplicity of lines;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; i

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a device according to our invention, showing the arrangement for attaching the supporting members;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a device according to our invention; and

Figure 7 is an elevational cross-sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Figure 6.

Referring now to, the drawings in greater detail, we have shown in Figure 1 a multiple coil and headerassemblypf'la heat exchanger'l comprising a plurality of lengths'of tubing 3 arranged in the form of sinuous coil flats and adapted to conduct heat exchange fluid to and from header pipes 5 attached to the ends of the tubing. As best seen in Figure 7, lengths of tubing 3 incline slightly downward from upper header pipes 5 to lower header pipes 5 so as to facilitate drainage of the system.

Supporting structure for the assembly is provided, comprising a pair of outer side sheets 7 and a plurality of pairs of inner side panels 9. Each pair of side panels 9 carries between the individual panels thereof at least one pair of horizontal supports 11, each pair of horizontal supports carrying between it divider support means 13 comprising a plurality of vertically disposed, flat, elongated slats 15 disposed in side-by-side relationship with their longitudinal edges vertical and contiguous, so

that the slats comprising divider support means 13 lie in a common plane transverse to the heat exchanger as a whole and perpendicular tolengths of tubing 3. Each slat 15' is provided along the opposite longitudinal edges thereof with alternatelydisposed notches 17 separated by straight edge portions 19. Thus, when slats 15 are arranged in a common plane in side-by-side contiguous relationship, the notches 17 in each slat 15 will open onto straight portions 19 of the adjacent slat. As seen in Figure 7, the slats 15 most closely adjacent header pipes 5 do not contact the uppermost and lowermost lengths of tubing 3, since adequate support in thes regions is given by header pipes 5.

Slats 15 may of course be formed from metal or any other strong, rigid material; but it is preferred to form them from an insulating material such as wood and more particularly plastic so as to minimize electrolytic corrosion in the system.-

It will be noted that notches 17 define a plurality of openings through divider support means 13, through which lengths of tubing 3 pass. Each length of tubing 3 is received entirely within a notch 17 and thus lies entirely within the contour of its associated slat 15 as defined by the longitudinal edges of the slat. In assem bled relationship, it will also be noted that straight portions 19 of the edges of the slats retain lengths of tubing spaced apart vertically, so that one of the horizontal supports will support some of the lengths of tubing 3 while the other of the horizontal supports will support others of the lengths of tubing 3. In this way, the weight of the tubing is dividedamong the horizontal supports; and hence, the horizontal supports 11 do not need to be so strongly constructed as otherwise.

In order better to perform their stated functions, horizontal supports 11 are in the form of angle members and are assembled so as to open away from divider support means 13, with their upper horizontal legs 21 providing support for lengths of tubing 3 and their dependent vertical legs 23 disposed inwardly adjacent divider support means 13 to provide a broad area of contact between slats 15 and horizontal supports 11.

Means are provided to lock horizontal supports 11 to the side panels 9 disposed at each end thereof, com-' perpendicular to each other. The tongues are received' through holes 27 in side panels 9 and have interlocking engagement with the outer sides of side panels 9 by being bent over away from each other as shown in Figure 5. It should be noted that this form of interlocking engagement is extremely strong, inasmuch as it resists transverse and torsional stresses in all directions.

Side panels 9 are provided with outwardly directed flanges 29 along their upper and lower edges; and side sheets 7 are provided with outwardly directed flanges 31 along their upper and lower edges, flanges 31 being complementary to and nesting Within flanges 29. Screwthreaded fasteners 33 are provided for fastening together flanges 29 and 31; and in this assembled condition, side sheets 7 and side panels 9 will be parallel to each other but spaced vapart over their major vertical extent by the tongues 25 which lie between them.

In Figure 3, from which the central slats have been omittedffor'the sake of simplicity, it will be seen that thelengthsof tubing 3 are arranged in horizontal rows, thefihorizontal rows being vertically spaced apart. Certain of the rows adjacent the top of the assembly should be supported by horizontal supportsll; but itv is by no meansnecessary to. support all the rows by means of hQliiZQBtal. supports. This is so, because the upper rows of. lengths of tubing 3 are supported .by. horizontal supports .11; and these supported lengthsof tubing in turn support the slats 15, which in turn support the lower lengths oftubing 3. Moreover, it is not necessary that slats: .15.be provided with notches exactly as shown. For example, the slats could be-provided with shallow notches Whichwould-register with similar, complementary shallow notches '0 I1 adjacent slats intheedgesthereof, so that the notches ,of-adjacent slats-would coact to hold a length of tubing 3 betweenvthem. ,Such a modified form of slat, however, could support only onecoil fiat per slat; whereasin the form of slats illustrated, each slat 15 supports two coil flats.

Thus,,;it will be obvious that we have achieved all of the above mentioned objects of our invention.

Although the presentinventionhas been described in conjunction with preferred embodiments, itis to be understood thatmodifications and variations may be resorted to without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the vart will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within the purview'and scope of the invention and appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a heat exchanger, 21 pair of spaced horizontal supports,-divider support means disposed between said horizontal supports and having a plurality of openings therethrough, and a plurality of lengths of tubing disposed in said openings, some of said lengths of tubing resting on said horizontal supports and others of said lengths of tubing being supported by said divider supportv means, said horizontal supports being spaced apart longitudinally of said lengths of tubing substantially the thickness of said divider support means to give lateral support to both sides of said divider support means.

2. The invention of claim 1, in which said horizontal supports comprise angle members opening away from said divider support means and having an upper horizontal .leg to support said lengths of tubing and a dependent vertical leg adjacent said divider support means.

3. The invention of claim 1, in Which said horizontal supports are spaced apart vertically so that different lengths of tubing rest on each said horizontal support.

4. In a heat exchanger, a pair of spaced horizontal supports, divider support means disposed between said horizontal supports and comprising a plurality of flat, identical, elongated slats, each said slat having a plurality of notches disposed in staggered relation in opposite A longitudinal edges of said slat, said slats being disposed side-by-side in a common plane, and a plurality of 4 1 lengths of tubing disposed entirely withinsaid notches and extending perpendicular to said plane, the lengths of tubing in the notches of each said slat being maintained in said notches by straight portions of the edges of adjacent slats, at least some of said lengths of tubing resting on said horizontal supports.

5. In a heat exchanger, a pair of spaced horizontal supports, divider support means disposed between said horizontal supports and comprising a plurality of flat, elongated slats, each said slat having a plurality of notches disposed alternately in opposite longitudinal edges of said slat, said slats being disposed side-by-side in acommon plane, and a plurality of lengths-of tubing disposed entirely within said notches and extending perpendicular to said plane,-the lengths of tubing in the notches of each said slat being maintained in said notches by straight portions of the edges of adjacent slats, at least some of said lengthsof tubing resting on said horizontal supports, said horizontal supports being spaced apart longitudinallyof saidlengthsof tubing substantiallythe thickness of asaid slat to give lateral supporttoboth sides ofsaid divider support meansand tomaintain said slats in said common plane. a

6. The invention of claim 5, in which said horizontal supports comprise angle members opening away from said divider support means and having an npperhorizontal leg to support-said lengths of tubing and-a dependent vertical leg adjacent said slats.

7.-In a heat-exchanger, a pair of spaced horizontal supports havingtongues at their opposite ends, divider support means disposed between said horizontal supports andhavinga plurality of opening 'therethrough, a plurality of lengths of tubing disposed in said openings,at least some ofsaid lengthsof tubing resting on said horizontal supports, a side panel at each end of said horizontal-supports, each said side-panelhaving holes therethrough for the reception of-said tongues, said tongues having locking engagement with the outersides .of. said side. panels, and side; sheets fastened to each said side panel on theouter side thereof, said tonguesbeingdisposed betweensaid side sheets and side panels.

8. The invention of claim 7, in which said horizontal supports comprise anglemembers having a horizontal leg and a vertical leg, each said leg having a said tongue at each end thereof, the said tongues at each end,.of a said channel member ,being disposed at right angles to, each other.

9. Theinvention'of, claim 7, in which. said side; panels and side sheets are provided with outwardly directed flanges alongtheir upper and lower-edges, the flanges of theside sheets being complementary toandnestipg within the flanges of the side panels, and means :for a,sten-, ing together thefianges of the side sheets and the flanges of the side panels.

B r,oido June 28, 1927 qtz u -.-----.--,-.---1Ian. 10. 1939 

